"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 13:15:46 -0000, "IMM" wrote:

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .
On 11 Dec 2003 12:25:47 GMT, (Huge) wrote:

Andy Hall writes:

[42 lines snipped]

The other was that most purchasers are brain dead as well.

You and I might think that energy saving is important, but most
purchasers don't.

It's not that marketable because energy is still cheap

It is? Gulp.

Relatively, and not to the point of pain for the average punter.

If it were, everybody would be
fitting condensing boilers and double
glazing

They are!! Try selling a house without double glazing.

I just did, and for a higher price than one close by with double
glazing that has been on the market for weeks.. The one that I
sold had a better kitchen and a better posiiton.

Relatives of mine
have a 20 year old detached 4 bed, two bathroom house. Gas bills were
approx £600-650 per year. That IS NOT cheap. It might be for you, but
not
to the average person on the average salary. I zoned up the house to
upstairs and down, installed a condensing boiler, they put extra lagging
in
the loft and installed double glazing (the old windows were ugly and shot
anyway). The bills are now half that, maybe less. The neighbours heard
of
it and many are now doing similar.

They are all on water meters and many now have low flush cisterns fitted,
with aerated taps and water butts etc. Why? Because water is not cheap
either, so they want to keep those bills down too.

That's all very nice, and I don't disagree with doing these things.
I simply don't believe that they are a big seller. Yet.

It is getting that way, that is the point, and that is for certain. The
insulation regs are getting higher, boiler efficiency is getting higher, all
pushed by Two Jags (God bless his left hook). Once this becomes the
standard then it drags the less old homes up, as it did with double glazing,
insulation in lofts, high efficiency heating. Then it will be the norm and
anything less will sell for less and not even be looked at. It is all
coming soon, very soon.

Worst case example. Take a bog standard, structurally sound, in excellent
order 3 bed never been modernised in any way 1930s detached house, with
original kitchen, coal fires, doors, bathroom, etc, and NO insulation in the
loft. See how many people would interested to buy it at full price, the
same price as a new house in insulation to current building regs and high
efficeint heating system. NONE at all. Some will want a knock done price
to "renovate" it, to modern specs. Comfort conditions and expectations are
rising and expectations of low running cost are too. The point? Improved
comfort and running costs "do impact".

and we wouldn't need legislation to encourage better
insulation.

Legislation is to drag the building industry out of the 19th century.

That's a separate issue.

But still related.



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